Concealed fastener for doors, panels, and the like



April 16, 1929. H. sucK 1,709,500

coNcEALED FASTENER Foa DooRs, RANELs, AND 'rms LIKE Filed Feb. 25, 1928 I Figi. zal.V

Patented Apr. 16 1929.

UNI-TED STATES PATENT,

HENRY SUCK, OF ROSLIN DALE, MASSACHUSETTS.

1,769,560 oFFlcE.

Application filed February 23, 1928. Serial No. 256,094.

This invention relates to a concealed fastener for doors, panels and the like and it has for its general object to provide a-novel concealed fastener which is simple in construction :nid yet is easily .manipulated.V

My improved fastener is of that type which willV automatically secure the door when the latter is close-d but which may be released by giving the door a slight inward movement beyond its normal closed position, and another object ofthe invention is toy provide a novel fastener offthis type which rwill function as a trick Afastener in that the inward movement ofthe doorl `must have some special characteristics in order yto release the fastener.

Other objects of the vinvention are to improve generally concealed fasteners all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 isa sectional View through a portion of a door frame and one edge of a door illustrating my improved fastener and showing the door in fastened condition;

Fig. 2 is asimilar sectional view showing the door being closed and just beforel 1t 1s fastened;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. l` showing the fastener in'fastening position; Fig. 4 is a view'of the keeper which is attached to the door jamb looking toward the right, Fig. 2;VV

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 1; Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Fig. 3v

but illustrating a different embodiment ofA the invention.

My improved fastener is capable of use with `doors of almostl yany description and also for fastening swinging panels and 'the like. p

In the drawings 1 indicates a portion of thel door jamb and 2 is a swinging door which is closed by a movement in the direction ofthe arrow Fig. 2. i My improveddoor fastener comprises a keeper 3 which may be secured either to the yvdoorjambor to thel door andl `a pivoted latch of novel construction which may be mounted either on the' door or on the door jamb. In the illustrated embodi ment of my invention the keeper is mounted on the door jamb and the latch on the door but the position of the versed withoutk departing from the' invention. The keeper' is indicated at 3 and is shown'a's beingl rigid with a vstriker plate 4 that is secured to the door V'jamb y1 and is villustratedas being4 located in a recess formed in thejalmb. Y

The latch which is *carried by the doorfis l `indicated at '6. Said latch pivotally arranged to swing ina v mounted at 7 and is' vertical plane. When the door Acloses the end of the latch rides up on the inclinedface 8 of the keeper and drops behind the shoulder 9 thus securing the door as will be readily understood.

parts may be re i yThe door is constructed so that after it` islatched by the engagement of the latch member V6 with the shoulder 9 ofthe keeper 3 said door may be given an additional in-y ward movementy into an advanced position.` f

A stop 10. co-operates with the door to limit the extent of such additional movement. VMy invention lcontemplates novel means whereby such additional inward movement will operate to raise the latch 6 and release it from the keeper thus 'unla'tching the door and will also `hold the latch raised while the v4door maintainsV its advanced position. The device also includes suitable springs which act kon the door when the-latterisfclosed tending to-open it sothat as soon asthe latch f is raised the springs will function toswing the door open. Y'. "For, raising the latch by thisj'furtheradditional inward movement of the door I haveA provided a latch-raising member 11 pivotally mounted on the door at "12 and is which is Y provided `with a tailportion 13 adapted to'engage the cam face 14 ofthe latch.

outer' end is depressed the tail 13 thereof will bc raised thereby swinging the latch The construction of* this .latch-y releasing member is such that when the upwardly abouty its pivot.Both the latch 6 and the Vlatch-releasing member l'l1`are illustratedas pivotally mountedin a suitable `housing or casing 15 whichv is attached to the'inside of 'the door by suitablescrews 16, said casing having's1ots117, l8/i'n one edge through one 'of 'which vtheend ofthe' latch projects and through the other of lwhich the end ofthe latch reeasng member projects.

y Thestriker plate 4t is vprovided:with a cam face 19 situated-.just beyond theshoulder l of the keeper member, said cam face 19 being so disposed that when thedoor is locked thel projecting end of the latch-releasing member willl be situated closely adjacent said cam face as seenin Fig. 6 so that when the door is moved inwardly beyond the point indicated in. Fig. 6 or from the full to the advanced dotted line position Fig. 1 the end o'l' the latch-releasing'member will engage said cam face 19 thus depressing said member. The downward movementl oit the outer end of the latch-releasing member resulting from its engagement with the cam face 19 causes the tail of the latch-releasing member to swing upwardly thereby raising the latch 6. It will thus be seen that when the door is closed it will automatically lock itselt by reason of Vthe latch dropping1 over the shoulder 9 oit the keeper, and that when the door is pushed inwardlybeyond its latching` position thelatch-releasing member will. engage the cam' tare 19l and thereby raise the latch out of engagement with the keeper. The latch will be held raised so long `the door is maintained inV its advanced position because while the door is in such position it actson the latch-releasing member 11 and holds the latter' in the dotted lineposition Fig. 5. t Y

VThe relation between `the latch-releasing member and the latch are such that a slight downwardV movement of the projecting end of the latch-releasing member will give a considerable lupward movement tothe projecting end ot the latch. This isbecause the pivot 12 of the latch-releasing member is nearer to the projecting` end thereot than to the tail and because said tail acts on the latch relatively Anear its pivot.

As statedv above theV complete fastener also includesa spring device which acts on .the door when the lat-ter'is closed and which tends to open the door, said spring device functioning 'to swing the door open asv soon as the inward pressureron the door.y neces sary to releasethelatch has ceased.

This spring device may have anyV desired construction without departing 'from the invention so long as it is arranged so that it will exert an outward pushing -torce on the door when the latteris closed. In the construction herein illustrated this spring device comprises a spring-pressed pusher 20 which is slidably mounted in ears 21 'formed on'the striker plate el and which is adapted to actV against the inside of the door when the latter is closed, said plunger being acted upon by one vor morev springs 22. These springs are shown. as connected at one end to one of theears 21 and atfthe other end to ahead 23 onthe end of the pusher 20. Said "springs normallyhold the pusher in such position that it will engage either the door 2 or'the housing 15 betere the doer is entirely closed, so that when the door is lithe springs are under considerable tension. When the door is latched this spring device thus holds the latch firmly against the shoulder 9 of the keeper but when the latch has been released from the keeper by the further inward movement of the door'the spring then functions to give the door an opening impulse which will swing it tree of the jamb 1.

My improved fastener can be constructed so that it will be released simply by an inward pressure upon the closed door or it may be constructed in the nature el' a trick leek which cannot be released unless the inward pressure has certain characteristics. It' the -fastener is constructed so that it will be opened simply by an inward pressure on the door and without regard to the character olf such pressure, I propose to provide said fastener with means operating to engage thelatch when ithas been raised by the inward movement ot the door and tohold said latch in such raised position until the door has opened sutliciently to carry the latch outwardly beyond` the keeper.

Any suitable means may be'employed tor thus holding the latch raised when once it has been lifted into unlatched position by theinward movement of the door. In Figs. G and T I have illustratedfor this purpose a catch 2Liwhich is pivotally mounted on the door jamb and is situated above the normal or lowered position of the latch 6. Said catch constructed, however, so that when the latch is raised the catch will automatically engage the raised latch and holdpit elevated.l Said catch is shownvas being piveted to the door jamb at 25 and is provided nally closed with a. cam face 26 A and a shoulder 27.

lVhen the dooris closed, as shownrin Fig. 6, the latch 6 will be situated Ydirectly underneath the cam face 26 of the catch and as the latch is raised by the inward movelGO ment of the door the rising latch will engage f the cam face 26 and throw the catch backwardly into the dotted line position Fig. 6, such catch swinging orwardby gravity un'- derneath the latch after the latch has been carried above the shoulder 27. Said shoulder-27, therefore, will engage the latch and held it elevated as shown in Fig. 7 thus unlocking the door. This operation will transpire regardless of the character of the inward movement of the door from the full to the dotted line position, Fig. 2, that is, regardless asto whether such inward movement is a. slow firm pressure or a quick'movement more in the nature ot one which would be produced by a blow.

After thelatch has been thus locked in its elevated positionV then if the pressure on the door is released the springs 22 will torceV the door open and as the dooropens vthe latch will Ybe withdrawn from theA shoulder 27 of thecatch ,and will gravitate-to its normal cnv isy opened sufficiently to withdraw the latch 'from the shoulder 27 said ylatch has been carried outwardlybeyond the shoulder 9 of the keeper' sov that when they latch does thus gravitate to its normal position it willpnot drop behind the keeper.

VIf it is desired that the fastener should function as a trick lock to be opened only when the inward movement has a certain characteristic, then the catch 24 is omitted., Said catchV can be easilytaken off by simply removing the sustaining screw 25. Vith the catch 2st omitted or removed there is nothing'L to hold the latch 6 elevated when it has been raised by the. additionalinward swinging movement of the door and in orderkto open the door it is necessary to give the latter a quickinward movement and then toinstantly release Vthe door. Such quick inward movement will throw the latch into its raised position and if the door is' instantly released the spring device 22 will give the door a quick outward impulse sufficient to carry the latch outwardly beyond the shoulder 9 of the keeper before the latch has an opportunity to fall into its fastening position. If, however, Vthe ydoor is simply'pushed in moderately and then released in ordinary fashion the latch 6 will have time to gravitate into its fastening position behind the shoulder 9 before the springs 22 carry the door into a position Where the' latch Gis in therefore,

Y y the keeper is on might be reversed without front of the shoulder 9. W ith the catch 24 omitted, therefore, the door can only be opened by pushing it in to raise the latch and then instantly withdrawing the pressure on the door so that the springs 22 will be unhampered in their action of giving the door a quick outward movement by which the latch is carried outwardly beyond the shoulder 9 before it has time to gravitate into its lowered position.

It will be noted that the fastener is en-` tirely located within the door and ony theinyside of the jamb and that nopart of thev lock is visible on the outside of the door when the latter is closed. The fastener, therefore, is entirely concealedl from view and if it is used for locking apanel there will ybe nothing to indicate from the outside that the panel is inAany way different from an ordinary panel. lVith this invention, it is possible to provide f secret panels or doors which are not only secret in that rthey give no exterior appearance of being hinged panels but are also secret in the sense that they can only be opened by those who Vknow how to manipulate the fastener.

lVhile I have illustrated a construction in which the latch is mounted on the door and the door frame lyet it will beobvious that the position of the parts the invention. In other words, it wouldbe intoA an advanced A-keeperand to hold the door maintains secured to the other part l latch behind the keeper when the door Vis n departingfrom with".V a door and its possible to place the keeper on the door and the latch vonl the door` frameand yet to have l adapted to latch behind the keeper' when the door 1s closed, said latch swinging in a.A

the otherV part and.

vertical-'plane,said door being capable of having a slight additional inward movement position after the latch vhas engaged f the keeper,

such: additional` movement of the door to raise .the latchand disengage it from the;

keeper andto hold said latchraised.

2.`In a concealed-door fastener, the corn-l bination with afdoor and its frame, ofa

keeper secured to one of the parts, a pivoted latch carried by the othery `part and` andv means operated by adapted to latch behind the keeper Vwhen -l the door is closed, said latch swinging in a vertical plane, said door being capable of having a slight additional inward movement yinto an advanced position after the latch has engaged the keeper, means operated by such additional movement of the door to raise the latch and disengagev it from the keeper fand to hold the latch raised while the 'door occupiesits advanced position, and automati` cally-operative means acting against the closed door and tending to open it.

3. In a concealed door fastener, the com# bination with a door and its frame', of a keeper secured to one of the parts, a pivoted latch carried by the other partv and adapted to latch behind the keeper when the door is closed, said latch swingln in a.

verticaly plane, said door being capa le `of having a slight additional inward movement into an advanced position yafter the latch has engaged the keeper, means operatedv by f l such additional movementrof the door to raise thev latch andy disengage it from the the latch raised while its advanced position, and a spring, acting tending to open it.

v4t. In a. door fastener, the combination with a door and its frame, of a keeper secured to one of the parts, a pivoted latch closed, said door being capable of a slight additionalinwar'd movement after the latch engages the keeper, means actuated by said additional movement of the door to raise vthe latch out Vof engagement with the keeper and hold the latch raised while the ldoor vmaintains the and adapted to f on the closed door and .l

and ylatch-releasing position it occupies at the end of said addi- -v tional movement.

[5. In. a door fastener, Vthe combination l frame, of `a keeper sef cured to one of the' parts, Va pivoted latch Vsecured Vto the other part andl adapted to latch behind thekeeper when the door is closed, said door being capable of a slight additional inward movement after the latch engages the keeper, a latch-releasing inember, and a cam to actuate said member when the door is given such additional inward movement thereby releasing the latch from the keeper.

46. In a door fastener,` the combination ywith a door and its rame,of a keeper' secured to one of the parts, a pivoted latch secured to the other part and adapted to latch `behind the keeper when the door is closed, said door being capable of a slight additional inward movement after the latch Y Aengages the keeper, latchreleasing means operated by such additional movementof the door to raise the latch and release it from the keeper, and means to engage the raised latch and* hold itl raised.

7.111 a door fastener, the combination with a doorl and its lrame, of a keeper secured to one of the parts, a pivotedlatch secured to the other part and adapted to latch behind 'the keeper when the door is closed, said door being capable of a slight additional inward movement aftertlie latch engages the keeper, latch-releasing means eperated by such additional movement of the door to raise the latch and release it from the keeper, and means operative to hold the latch raised until the door has opened slightly, said latch then being released.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY SUCK.V 

